How Not to Court Labor

Ben predicted a while back that the primary for Sylvia Friedman’s Assembly seat could be one of the hardest-fought races of the year.

That’s because of Brian Kavanagh, the who finished second in a crowded City Council race last year, and who is now challenging Friedman. He’ll be formidable, with a considerable warchest and the Knickerbocker SKD consulting firm working on his campaign.

But Kavanagh’s candidacy apparently had something of a hiccup recently when he showed up late for an endorsement interview with a Working Families Party steering committee, blamed a staffer for the mix-up and then told the stunned room of labor-lefties that the worker in question was no longer with the campaign.

The committee of about 15 promptly endorsed Friedman. Kavanagh got no votes.

“He should have taken the blame himself,” said WFP member Michael Hirsch, who related the story. “I guess he didn’t know his audience.”

Micah Lasher, responding for Kavanagh, took issue with the account and said, “Brian’s proud to have the support of many progressive labor unions and looks forward to winning the primary of Democratic voters in Sept. 12.”